“The Ransom Center is among the finest research libraries in the country with unparalleled holdings and a storied past,” Enniss said in a statement. "I am honored to join my new colleagues there in helping to extend further its important and ongoing cultural work.”

Thomas F. Staley, the current director of the Harry Ransom Center, will retire August 31. Ennis will start at the Harry Ransom Center August 1.

“Under Dr. Staley’s leadership the Ransom Center has become an American pantheon of literary and artistic luminaries, an invaluable resource for UT students and scholars the world over,” UT President William Powers Jr. said in a statement. “Dr. Stephen Enniss brings the expertise and stature to continue the Ransom Center’s trajectory and carry it to new heights. I look forward to seeing what new treasures from our cultural heritage will come to this tremendous archive under his leadership.”

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